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Failure to resolve your traffic/minor offense ticket by the due date may result in a $300 civil assessment penalty being added to the original bail and a referral to a collection agency pursuant to Penal Code §1214.1, or issuance of a warrant for your arrest and/or suspension of your driver license. If a civil assessment is imposed, you may be subject to wage garnishments and bank levies through the Franchise Tax Board Court Ordered Debt Collection Program (see Cases in Collection).

Each subsequent failure to appear, failure to pay or failure to comply with a court order may result in an additional $300 civil assessment or issuance of a warrant.

If you have a financial hardship and can show that you are unable to pay the full amount for the offenses on your traffic ticket, you may request the court to consider your ability to pay in setting the fine amount, ask for an installment plan based on your ability to pay, or ask to consider community service. You can do this by:

Appearing in court to make this request (An appointment to appear in court may be necessary.) Click here for court times and scheduling.

Filing or mailing a written request to the Court.

If you are unable to make a scheduled court ordered fine payment due to financial hardship, you may do any of the following:

Request a 30-day extension to pay (maximum two extensions) by phone or mail. Click here for court contact information.

Appear at the Traffic Business Office and:

Request a 30-day extension to pay;

Request a reduction of fine;

Request community service/volunteer work for up to half the total fine; and/or

Request a courtroom appearance to ask the court to consider your ability to pay. (You may need to schedule this appearance in advance). Click here for court appearance information.

File or mail a written explanation of your financial hardship and inability to pay to the court. The court will mail you a response to that request. Any prior orders in your case requiring payment will remain in effect until the court rules on your request.

If you have failed to appear on a traffic/minor offense case and a warrant has been issued, you may be able to pay the total bail or an appearance in court may be necessary. Warrants cannot be settled over the phone or online. Bail is not required to appear in court. Contact the court for further information.

Cases In Collection

Failure to resolve your traffic/minor offense ticket by the due date may result in up to a $300 civil assessment penalty being added to the original bail amount and a referral of the case to a collection agency pursuant to Penal Code §1214.1.

A traffic/minor offense ticket referred to collection may result in the suspension of your driver license and may be subject to wage garnishments and bank levies through the Franchise Tax Board Court Ordered Debt Collection Program.

The suspension of your driver license will not be lifted until the bail set on the citation or the total amount of the fine and the $300 assessment is paid in full.

Once full payment is received, or you appear in court and satisfy the order of the court, the California Department of Motor Vehicles will be notified.

Driving with a suspended license is a misdemeanor offense and may result in the vehicle driven at the time the offense is committed being impounded for a period of 30 days.

Once your traffic/minor offense ticket has been referred for collection, please address all correspondence, payments and questions to the following agency (unless you want to make a courtroom appearance based on financial hardship – see below):

If you have a financial hardship and can show that you are unable to pay the full amount for the offenses on your traffic ticket, you may request the court to consider your ability to pay in setting or reducing the fine amount, ask for an installment plan based on your ability to pay, or ask to consider community service. You can do this by:

Appearing in court to make this request (An appointment to appear in court may be necessary.) Click here for court times and scheduling.

Filing or mailing a written request to the Court.

If the case is not resolved within 6 months of being assigned to the collection agency, the case will be forwarded to the State of California Franchise Tax Board for collection and you may be subject to wage garnishments and bank levies through the Franchise Tax Board Court Ordered Debt Collection Program. All correspondence and payments are to be made directly to the Franchise Tax Board.

If your driver license has been suspended for failure to appear or failure to pay a fine, you may appear or pay the bail, fine and civil assessment due and the California Department of Motor Vehicles will be notified. Bail is not required to appear in court.

California Department of Motor Vehicles has field offices that will accept payment for traffic tickets in collection (see Cases In Collection) or in warrant status and release the license suspension. If your license has been suspended for failure to pay a fine imposed by the court, you must pay the fine and civil assessment in full or appear in court and satisfy the order of the court before the release of your suspension can be issued.